As Warbirds News reported three weeks ago, the Commemorative Air Force’s High Sky Wing, based in Midland, Texas, was set to begin refurbishing a U.S. Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcat on July 27.

This airframe, if you recall, is of particular significance because it was the first Tomcat to shoot down another aircraft in combat. Cmdr. Henry “Hank” Kleemann and Lt. David “DJ” Venlet of VF-41 flew her as callsign “Fast Eagle 102” from the decks of the USS Nimitz during the Gulf of Sidra Incident of Aug. 19, 1981, splashing the first of two Libyan fighters the U.S. Navy dispatched that day. The second Libyan SU-22 Fitter fell to a Sidewinder missile from another VF-41 Tomcat, “Fast Eagle 107,” flown by Lt. Lawrence “Music” Muczynski and Lt. (jg) James “Luca” Anderson.

Members of the Navy Flight Deck Veterans Group have been working on Fast Eagle 102, shown here shortly after the mission aboard the Nimitz, and we are happy to report that they have made great progress. The aircraft will be ready for its formal unveiling during the High Sky Wing CAF Airsho 2016 on Saturday, Aug. 27, as originally promised.